Cherokee County closes road due to wear from heavy equipment trucks

Cherokee County closed a portion of Island Ford Road near the North Carolina border recently after the road’s condition became nearly impassable because of wear from heavy equipment trucks.

By LYNNE P. SHACKLEFORDlynne.shackleford@shj.com

Cherokee County closed a portion of Island Ford Road near the North Carolina border recently after the road’s condition became nearly impassable because of wear from heavy equipment trucks.Trucks, tractor-trailers and earth-moving equipment have been using the road as a shortcut from Highway 221 in Chesnee to the Horsehead production facility, a zinc and diversified metals industry under construction in Rutherford County, N.C.A roughly half-mile portion of Island Ford Road from Highway 221 to the railroad spur is in Cherokee County, and the county could have liability for any collisions or other incidents because the road doesn’t meet public access standards, said Cherokee County Councilman Mike Fowlkes.“What has happened, basically, is the trucks are so heavy that they carve or push out the gravel, and the ground just eats the gravel and when it rains, it turns into a mud pile,” said County Administrator Ben Clary.There have been two recent accidents on the road, and the county has received complaints of car damage stemming from the road’s poor condition, Fowlkes said.Officials said the company had agreed to buy gravel and materials, and Cherokee County had agreed to use staff to spread the gravel, but on Friday, the talks fell apart as the company withdrew its offer to buy materials.Plant construction will take at least another eight months, officials said. Fowlkes said it would cost about $100,000 for gravel on the roughly half-mile stretch. Each councilman receives $25,000 annually in gravel funds.“It’s a bad situation, but it’s one that I hope can be resolved fairly quickly,” Fowlkes said, adding the county and the company could still reach an agreement.The county council unanimously agreed to close the road, but added that county administrators could immediately reopen the road if adequate improvements are made.Fowlkes said that two Cherokee County households are affected by the closure, although the entire Hicks Grove community in North Carolina also must use detours for the time being.

“I understand that it’s an inconvenience for those residents who live up there, and it’s my hope to have this resolved, but the county can not assume liability for this road that is not adequate or safe for vehicles to travel at this point,” Fowlkes said.It will now take emergency vehicles an extra three or four minutes to use the detour on Studebaker and Montgomery roads to get to those households.Clary said he also knew the detour was an inconvenience to Horsehead and nearby residents, but thought council made the right decision in light of the road’s condition.“This was and is a tough issue for council,” Clary said. “But ultimately, the county is liable for any accidents, and our top priority is safety.”Horsehead officials didn’t immediately return calls for comment Tuesday afternoon.